Where you appear on the list of proposals is decided by "best match" which is pretty hit and miss, Sometimes it works really great, sometimes it doesn't work well at all.
It's also not entirely merit-based because it also suggests people without much experience which is fair enough as otherwise new freelancers in competitive categories wouldn't appear at all.
The best match algorithm is supposed to match not only by metrics (JSS, earnings, quality etc) but also on how well your profile fits not only what the client is looking for (skill tags), but also on history, such as have you successfully completed relevant jobs and has the client have good experiences with freelancers like you.
The more history both parties have, the better the algorithm tends to work, but occasionally it screws up in a spectacular manner.
What I'm trying to say is that with one client you ended up near the bottom, with another you could be right at the top after the boosted proposals, just because of the match algorithm.
Upwork has never been this competitive, and is currently drowning in freelancers. In my opinion it is a huge mistake to let every Tom, Dick, and Harry join and then just kick them out after they pissed off clients.
Top rated and 100% is more the norm than anything particularly special these days, although the end of the feedback removal perk will most likely mean that this will change at least a little bit.
If your proposals aren't well out of whack price-wise, and you are sure that the first 2 lines of your proposal still work, there is no way of telling why you've been struggling without seeng your proposals and/or your profile.
Your average contract value is high. If you're sure your proposals are really good, try boosting, so you know for a fact your proposal is at the top.
Boosting a proposal only works if what you're offering aligns really well with what the client is after and your proposal (especially those vital first 2 lines) are hitting the spot.
No amount of boosting works to fix a mediocre proposal.
